Monday, April 5, 2010

Book Review: The Blue Castle by L.M.Montgomery

Description (from Goodreads): 'It was Barney Snaith's car and Barney himself was just scrambling up from under it, in overalls plastered with mud. Valancy gave him a swift, furtive look as she hurried by. This was only the second time she had ever seen the notorious Barney Snaith, though she had heard enough about him in the five years that he had been living 'up back' in Muskoka...every one knew that he was an escaped convict and a defaulting bank clerk and a murderer in hiding and an infidel and an illegitimate son of old Roaring Abel Gay and the father of Roaring Abel's illegitimate grandchild and a counterfeiter and a forger and a few other awful things. But still Valancy didn't believe he was bad. Nobody with a smile like that could be bad, no matter what he'd done.'

My thoughts: Valancy is 29 years old. She is unhappy to her life as unmarried woman living with her mother and cousin. Valancy has spend her life living in fear of her family and relatives. When Valancy starts to suffer from heart pains she decides to visit a doctor and hears something she never though she would hear; she has only a couple of months to live. With the new time limit, Valancy decides she wants to live her life before she dies. She leaves her family and moves away and eventually meets Barney Snaith, a man who is despised by everyone she knows, and asks him to marry her. Valancy believes Barney is with her only because he pities her but Barney has a secret he hasn't revealed. As well as Valancy does.

My mom bought me this book from the library because it was one of her favorite books when she was at my age. I had really high expectations towards this book because my mother was the one who introduced me to Pride and Prejudice years ago and it became my favorite book. So in that light this book was a little disapointment. This book has very vivid and beautiful descriptions of places, especially nature and I must say that was my favorite thing about it.

Somehow I feel that I just did not get into this book. The characters, especially Valancy,annoyed me and Barney was not the "hero" I expected to get. I am happy I read this book but I must say that it will not become one of my favorites.

Shantal, thanks for following. :)I think that the Blue Castle is a PERFECT book for a one who loves nature. I myself do not really like to be in nature so I somehow found all the nature bits as bit boring at times.

I really like L.M. Montgomery's style, but haven't heard of this book of hers before. Thanks for your review. Even though you didn't like the book, have a funny feeling I will share your mother's opinion! ;)